Safety loop for connecting rods



Jan. 19, 1932. B. HASKELL 1,841,600

h f SAFETY LOOP FOR CONNECTING RODS I Filed April 1. 1939 WITNESSES r j I INVENTOR Q v I Patented Jan. 19, 1 932 E EE s ATES rare nnonnnron PrAs EnL, or rnannrrn, rnnnsynvanra, nssrenon 'ro navrs BRAKE BEAM coiarany, on aonnsrown, PENNSYLVANIA, A oonronarron or rnnnsYL- VANIA. SAFETY LOOP FOR,

Application filed April 1,

i: obstructions. If they break, they become useless as safety loops, and accordingly the connecting rods may, with disastrous consequences, fall upon the road bed if the rod or other brake gear supporting connections should fail. On the other hand, if the loops become materially deformed they may seriously interfere with the normal operation of the brakes.

' The object of this invention is to'provide a safety loop which cannot be broken or deformed by striking road bed obstructions, or when encountering other exigencies in service, and which accordingly remains continuously in proper form to support a connecting rod whenoccasion arises for its doing so. 7

The invention is illustrated in the accom: panying drawings, of which Fig.1 is a combined transverse "sectional view of a spring plank of a railway car truck and a side elevation of a safetyloop embodying the invention; Fig.2 aplan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1; and Figs. 3 and 4 views taken on the planes indicated by the lines III.III and IVIV, Fig. 1.

According to this invention, there is attached to a suitable supporting member of a railway car truck, preferably to its spring plank, a safety loop which is so limber and flexible that regardless of how it may be distorted when struck by road bed obstructions,

or otherwise, it is not broken, and returns to its normal position for supporting a con- 7 nectingrod when occasion for this arises.

Furthermore, because of'the limber and flexible characteristic of the loop, it does not become bent to impair or interfere with the 7 normal and free operationof the brake gear.

Having reference to the illustrative em bodimentof the inventiomfa spring plank 1 of a railway'car truck has suitably attached oolvnncrrne nons 193a. Serial No.440/2'44. r r g to it a pair of safety loopsQ and 3which receive a connecting rod 4 'of a brake gear. These loops are preferably formed of flexible stranded metal cables. While they may be variously attached to the'spring plank, the 5;.

latter is preferably provided with lugs for this purpose; As shown in Fig. 3, the spring plank has a lug 5, formed of a short section of an angle, attached to it by rivets6. The outstanding leg of the lug is provided with perforations 7, which receive the ends of loops 2, the perforations being preferably rounded at their lower ends to prevent the loop from being cut when flexed. To attach the ends of the loops to the lug, each end is preferably surrounded by a sleeve 8 which rests upon the outstanding lug of angle 5, and to which the upper end of the loop is welded, as at-9..

Ordinarily, both safety loops for the truck will be the same. However, to illus trate a modified form of attachment of a loop to a spring plank, loop 3 shown in Fig. l has its ends. attached to separate lugs 10,

each connected to the flange of the spring plank by a rivet 11. In this embodiment of the invention, the ends of the loops extend through perforations 12 in the outstanding legs of lugs or channels 10, and are welded, as at 13, directly to the upper faces'of these legs rather thanlto sleeves or other members, as in the form of Fig. 3.

In case the lower end, or any other portion of a loop provided according to this invention, is in any way distorted, it freely yields have it understood that, within the scope 'of' the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illus- V trated and described.

I claim as my invention: 7 o, '1. 'In a railway. car truck having a spring plank, a lug attached to said spring plank, and a safety loop suspended from said lug for receiving a connecting rod of a brake gear, said loop being formed of a flexible stranded metal cable.

2. In a railway car truck having a spring plank, a lug attached to said spring plank and provided with a pair of perforations, and a safety loop formed of a flexible stranded metal cable having its ends extending through said perforations and engaged by said lug, said loop being adapted. to receive a connecting rod of a brake gear.

3. In a railway car truck having a spring plank, a lug attached to said spring plank and provided with a pair of perforations, a safety loop formed of a flexible stranded metal cable having its ends extending through said perforations, and sleeves surrounding and welded to said loop ends for supporting the loop to receive a connecting rod of a brake gear.

In testimony whereof, I sign my name.

BRODERICK HASKELL. 

